In a ceremony held at the Umschlagplatz monument, Częstochowa remembered its Jewish citizens, victims of the Holocaust, by commemorating the 76th anniversary of the liquidation of the Częstochowa ghetto. The monument site is from where, between 22nd September and 7th October 1942, six train transports departed for Treblinka, carrying around 40,000 Jews to their deaths.

Częstochowa Deputy Mayor, Dr. Ryszard Stefaniak, opened the ceremony, which was attended by around one hundred of the city’s, as well as guests from the United States and Israel.

World Society President, Sigmund Rolat, welcomed all to what is an important commemoration, World Society Vice-President, Alon Goldman, in his address, listed the numerous achievements accomplished in preserving the city’s Jewish heritage, undertaken in recent years in cooperation with the municipal authorities. These included the erection of the monument in front of which he was standing and the establishment of the Jewish Museum of Częstochowa. He acknowledged Sigmund Rolat’s great contribution to these project.

Alon stressed that the preservation of the Jewish cemetery, which is largely still being neglected, is a project that must be completed in partnership with other individuals and organizations.

Alongside the city’s Honour Guard, students from the Malczewski and Słowacki High Schools contributed to the ceremony with poetry reading and a song. A very emotional moment came when Ofri Ben Shitrit, granddaughter of survivor Giza Segal, came from Israel to attend the ceremony and performed the Hebrew song Shir HaMa’alot, while her grandmother Giza watched it live on video in Ramat Gan.

Kaddish was recited by Alon Goldman in memory of the 40,000 victims. Several wreathes were then laid by representatives of the city and by private individuals. Othen then paid their own private tribute at the monument.